Unofficial blog by a supporter and a former loyal constituent

A couple of upcoming posts will be devoted to political issues of Margaret Donnelly. As you know I, Vasil Kalinkovich, support her very much and appreciate everything she does. Let us see what Margaret does for Missouri and all the people around.

We will start with budget. Like other states, Missouri is dealing with the ongoing problem of low revenues and high demands on its budget. Things are slowly improving-last year saw increase in revenue for the first time in 3 years. But the fact remains, economically Missouri is coming out of a deep hole from years of little money and big expenses. There are hard choices that need to be made. Many federal programs are under-funded, and in some cases not funded at all and there is no possibility for entry waivers. Missouri must take up the slack to cover essential services and programs throughout the state. Margaret believes that people must ensure that education, health programs and services for families, children and the elderly are supported. She is sure that we must continue to carefully examine all state programs to make sure money is being used as wisely and effectively as possible.

Education is another issue Margaret Donnelly is focused on. Public education is the number one responsibility of state government and has always been a priority for her. The President’s No Child Left Behind Act, was unfortunately not fully funded, leaving states and local districts the responsibility of paying for federal mandates. In the 73rd District, schools were funded almost exclusively by local tax revenue, but did get state funding for special programs for gifted students, transportation and the voluntary desegregation program. All of these have been cut in recent years. As a result, our local districts are finding it difficult to maintain programs and services. She believes, the state of Missouri must keep its promises and properly fund its commitments. In the coming legislative session government will face revisions to basic school funding formula. Any changes must treat US school districts fairly and recognize sacrifices made by the communities to support schools.